In the food packing industry, when a food product (for example, baby food) is packed in a container, it sometimes happens that a small amount of the food product will splash onto the finish or threads of the container during the packing and sealing process. The food product may spoil if it remains between the closure and the container, but usually any such spillage is removed by water washing or a cooling spray. The containers of food products which are packed hot are washed as an incident to water spray cooling, and the containers of products which are retorted are immersed in water during the retort cycle. However, such water washing and/or cooling does not always remove food product that might have been lodged on threads in the area between the closure and the container, and any such residual product could present a potential problem. Thus there has been a need for a closure in which the threaded region between the closure and the container can be washed or flushed clean, after the closure has been applied.
The problem is accentuated where the closure is of the type which includes a tamper evidencing or breakaway band, such as a band which is severed and separated from the upper or top part of the closure as an incident to opening. The reason for this is that tamper indicating bands typically include inward, up-turned tabs or flaps which project beneath a locking bead around the neck of the container below the container threads. The up-turned tabs or flaps present pockets into which food particles can be lodged and retained, which tends to accentuate the need for effective cleaning.